Somewhere far away and very deep inside the African continent there is a mysterious lake called Chad. The lake holds many secrets, and whether they will ever be revealed is a question that can only be answered by time and very persistent and curious people.
The main mystery of Lake Chad is the fact that it is always going somewhere, the lake does not have an exact shoreline, as its shape is constantly changing.
And at a certain point, namely in May, instead of a lake, only many kilometers of muddy bottom are visible. What do you think the water is? Salt water or fresh water?
The water in the lake is fresh, unlike other desert lakes. It is thanks to the fresh water that herds of animals move to the lake from the desert:
zebras, antelopes,
giraffes and buffalo. The animal world of Lake Chad is very beautiful and rich in various species of animals. Here are not rare
elephants, rhinos, and along the shores there are many hippos. And in the coastal zone crocodiles guard their prey.
And here is another mystery: the lake is home to a relative of a rare, already exterminated animal - the sea manatee. When and under what circumstances did the sea animal get here? In time, the mysteries of the lake will be solved.
Photo: fishki.net
After all, Europeans learned about the existence of the "Sahara Sea" only in the 19th century from the notes of Arab travelers. In 1823, an English expedition first reached the shores of Lake Chad from the Mediterranean Sea. They were unable to make a map of the lake. After 30 years, a German expedition visited the area, but saw only a swampy body of water. It was only in 1871 that the water in the lake began to rise and the raging lake swept the town of Ngagmi off the shore.
This happens to the lake periodically - once every three decades. This is due to changes in the amount of precipitation in the upper reaches of the Shari River. When this happens, Lake Chad gets very large and surpasses the size of such lakes as Balkhash and Ladoga.
Like the rest of the Earth, the lake is unique. It is a pity that the changes that are taking place are not always positive. Cutting down the forest on the banks of the river that feeds the lake and building an irrigation system means that Lake Chad receives less and less fresh water from it.
Scientists of the world are concerned about the current situation, because the consequences of this ecological catastrophe are impossible to predict. Both people and animals will die. The unique world of Lake Chad will disappear.